1. THE XXI CENTURY TRASPORTS LINK BETWEEN EUROPE AND AFRICA Italy, bridge across Mediterranean Sea

2. Great buildings in the past and present time YESTERDAY “To connect the oceans” (Panama, Suez) Powerful states, owners of powerful fleets Through “parallels” The courses to East TODAY To connect the “Countries” Also through “meridians” Gibraltar and Mazara two borderlands of Europe

3. THE STRAIT OF MESSINA BRIDGE Link between Italian regions and/or hinge between two continents ? It will promote the change of goods transport from road to railway

4. SUBMARINE TUNNELS Existing tunnels Sei-Kan Tunnel (Japan) Eurotunnel (France –England) Tokyo Bay (Aqualine) Tunnel (Japan) Future tunnels Tsushima-Kaikyo (strait) and Korean strait Gibraltar (Morocco-Spain) Bering Strait (Russia-USA)

5. SEI –KAN 53.850 m length, existing from 1988 section

6. SEI - KAN Profile

7. EUROTUNNEL section

8. EUROTUNNEL Upgrading works (Stratford-Dover, in progress)

9. TOKYO BAY- TUNNEL Profile

10. TOKYO BAY- TUNNEL Bridge and artificial island Kase–no-to

11. TOKYO BAY- TUNNEL Humi - Hotaru artificial island and bridge

12. GIBRALTAR TUNNEL PLAN

13. GIBRALTAR TUNNEL PLAN AND SECTION

14. GIBRALTAR TUNNEL PROFILE

15. BERING TUNNEL Russia – USA and two Diomede’s islands

16. KOREA - JAPAN TUNNEL in project 120 km length, 5 islands

17. Sicily – Africa: tunnel track

18. Sicily - Africa profile, plan, section

19. ARTIFICIAL ISLANDS Channel of Sicily, is it possible to build a 130 km long tunnel ? Artificial islands, Japanese experience, environment damage or benefit ?

20. REALIZATION Heads and islands TBM machines Scheme and performances

21. RESULTS IN THE TIME Why only goods and services ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES Building yard time North Africa productions, quality and quantity changes Removal of industries Increase of people’s incomes and fundamental consumptions

22. STAGES Research and feasibility project Constituting Consortia and finding investors Technical project and work planning Tunnel heads, islands and links realization Drilling phase Realization of systems and plants

23. Technical data and performances of the Sicily – Tunisia tunnel -Total length 150 km. -Submarine portion length 136 km. - Two galleries (one for each way) with 7.6 m diameter, and a 45 m distance between them. - Gallery of exploration/service 4.8 m diameter in central position between the transit galleries. - Practicable total bypass connections every 375m. - Aerodynamic bypass every 200 m. -Electric supply at the ends linked with national Tunisian/Italian power nets. At least two power stations at the artificial islands.

24. PHASES OF CONSTRUCTION The realization of the tunnel, by analogy with similar works, is divided in 4 phases at least: - Geologic research and executive project, planning and commissioning (for a period of about 4 years). The works for the construction of the tunnel include three phases (for an estimable length of about 7 years): - Positioning of 4 platforms for the building of artificial islands (well technique) and beginning of the realization of the heads (Pizzolato and Cape Bon terminals). - digging of the different portions of the tunnel (5 long sections) and building of artificial islands. - installation of all the technical plants (ventilation systems, drain systems …)

25. GOODS TRANSPORT ACROSS MEDITERRANEAN SEA